Global Studies II

Unit II Russia

Name Kyle Chandler

Date 4/15/15

Totalitarianism under Stalin

1. Define the term totalitarianism
Agovernment that takes total, centralized, state of control over every aspect of public and private life.

2. While reading the excerpt, create a list of methods of control used by Soviet leaders and examples

Methods
Police Terror
Indoctrination
Propaganda and Censorship

Religious or Ethnic Prosecution

Examples
They spy on the public to see whether or not
the people are behaving the way they should.
They teach young kids that their government is
the way it should be and all other governments
are bad.
The state surrounds people with fake info and
all forms of advertisements must be accepted
by the government.
The government blames wrong doings on
religious figures or groups so the blame doesnt
go onto them.

Of all the methods of control, which allows the MOST long-term control?

Indoctrination because it teaches young minds what is right in their society and what is wrong.
3. Stalins methods of control.
a. What was the Great Purge? How would Stalins use of this action increase his power?
It was an action taken by Stalin to make sure no one could or would rise up and try to take his power. This
created terror amongst the people and now everyone became scared of him.

b. What was Pravda? How did Stalin explain the purpose of art in the USSR?
Pravda was the newspaper that was used in Russia under Stalins rule. He explained art in the USSR by
talking about how literature can really dictate how you see the world.

c. What is an atheism? How did Stalin use atheism to influence his control over his citizens?
Atheism is the belief that there is no divine or higher power. Stalin used this to influence the citizens by
religious faiths were all superstitions and they were not real.

4. Stalins control over the economy.

a. What is a command economy? A command economy is when the government makes all economic
decision.
b. Stalins Five Year Plans
1. Purpose It was for the development of Russias economy. Also, he wanted it to help
increase steel, coal, oil, and electricity outputs.

2. Results? - The people faced many shortages. The shortages include: housing, food,
clothing, and other necessary goods. However there was great growth in the steel and coal productions.

c. What methods did Stalin use to bring agriculture under state control?
He took over the control of hundreds of families farms. He thought that it would help boost the
production of food and they would also need less workers.

d. Kulaks - Who were they?

They were a group of wealthy peasants.
1. How did they create a problem for Stalin?
They actively fought the governemnts decision to take their land. Many livestock and crops
were killed. Between five to ten million peasants were killed over this.

2. How did he solve the problem?

He solved this problem by giving the peasants a good wage so that they were rewarded by
their work they did.